Running
by Unique Art
Summary: -Ryou x Yugi- “Together. Since we’re both running, we should run together.”


**For the second round of Compy's contest. It's Heartshipping (Ryou x Yugi). Um, it's more hinted than anything, but you can see it. This is really angsty, despite the adorable pairing. I'm not sure if I like it or not. This takes place about 3-4 years in the future, when the gang is about 18. Most of the gang has split up and moved around the world. The yamis are gone. If anything else confuses you, please tell me!**

**Hope you like it :D**

**DISCLAIMER: This is stupid. I don't own it!**

**---**

_Must keep running…_

Rain poured down his ghostly cheeks, and his damp locks fell into his eyes. Worn tennis shoes pounded on the wet sidewalk. His feet splashed up the many puddles, soaking his jeans. His pale blue tee stuck to his frail body. A pained, dazed expression overwhelmed the hikari's angelic face.

No cars passed this lonely teen in such early hours. The whole city had lost power from the wicked storm that was raging through. All people were advised to say inside. But this certain boy didn't listen. He just kept his focus on his steady pace.

As you all can imagine, it was eerily dark. He couldn't see anything in front of him, nor did he really care. Most people would have feared the shadowy neighborhood. But most people hadn't stared the devil himself in the face – his own face – and stood their ground. No, he didn't really fear too much any more.

All he wanted was freedom!

Because of the harsh downpour, he didn't notice the tears that started rolling down his face until he choked out a sob. This made him stumble and lose his balance, causing him to fall hands-first onto the ground.

"Why…" came the painful words.

Even when the scrapes started to bleed, he didn't notice. The blood mixed with the rain effortlessly. The ground beneath him was tinted a light pink.

Dripping white hair was hanging over his face as he stared at the ground, heaving and crying. He began to shake feebly, just as he did before.

_"Why are you crying?" came a sneer._

_He was too lost in his emotions to answer him. The hikari couldn't understand it – why was he leaving him? Where would he go? Why did he have to _care_?_

_This caused the other to look away with a sharp edge on his defined features. Raw disgust reflected in his dark purple eyes. Seeing this made the teen sob even harder._

_Before he left (forever), he gave the kid one last statement, "You really are as weak as I thought." These cold words struck Ryou's heart in a way he didn't think possible. Why was he so pained? Didn't he _want_ him to leave? But it felt like…it felt like his heart was being torn in two,_

_The demon gave him one last gaze as he vanished into the swirling mist of shadows, just like before. _

_This time Ryou knew he wouldn't come back._

Images flooded his brain, swirling and laughing at his misery. He was completely numb; he didn't feel a single thing that was happening around him. The teen didn't even notice the electricity come back on. A streetlight illuminated the space where he sobbed.

Everything in his body urged him to get up and flee. Run from these nightmares and memories! But he didn't even move from his spot.

Then he heard the footsteps.

"Ryou?" said a soft voice.

His head shot up and whipped around behind him. Standing in the harsh rain was a short teen with wildly colored hair that was hanging heavily on his shoulders. He was just as soaked as the teen on the ground. Once bright purple eyes now looked dead as they gazed on his pathetic form.

"What are you doing out here?" the teen asked quietly, approaching slowly.

As he stood up carefully, he put his suddenly throbbing hands against his jeans. Dull words fell from his mouth automatically, as if they were rehearsed. "Just taking a walk, Yugi. I stumbled and fell. No big deal." It even sounded odd to his ears.

Since when was his mask so fake?

"Then why were you running?" Yugi asked knowingly. Assuming he wouldn't get much of a response, he continued. "Running never helped anything."

"Why do you run, then?" Ryou whispered, barely audible from the winds that whipped his long hair around.

The King of Games didn't reply.

Ryou persisted. "You tell everyone that you're fine, Yugi-"

"So do you," he interjected quickly, growing increasingly uncomfortable with this conversation.

The white-haired hikari didn't stop. "-but you're not. You are just as hurt and empty as anyone else." His dark eyes flashed. "If you have a better way to escape, please share. But obviously you don't, since you do the same exact thing." He ignored the pleading look he was getting. "That's why you're out here to night. Am I wrong?"

Yugi didn't have to answer. After a moment, he commented softly, "Every day, you are becoming more like him."

"So are you," his fellow hikari countered sharply. "And you hate it. You can't stand looking in the mirror and seeing his face, can you?"

A frown formed on his pale lips. "Ryou…How does it feel to share the face of a murderer?" Coming from anyone else, the words would have been insulting. But the pure curiosity made it hard for the white-haired teen to be angry with him.

Still, he didn't answer. "We both run from our problems." His dark eyes locked on the other's pair. "Me, from nightmares. You, from memories." A bitter smile (a smirk?) rose on his features. "We know it does nothing. So why do we do it?"

"To take our mind off the pain," he answered simply.

A tad darkly, Ryou asked, "Does it help you?"

"No."

They stayed where they were, letting the rain pour on them. Neither shivered or showed signs of discomfort. Two pairs of dead eyes stared at each other with no emotion. Then, something flickered in the amethyst orbs.

"Together," he whispered.

Confusion was evident on the teen's face. "What?"

A look of faint hope showed a glimmer he hadn't had for a long time. "Together. Since we're both running, we should run together." He continued, "The two of us. We're two of a kind, if you don't count Malik. You're the only one who knows how I feel. Maybe, if we run together, we won't be so alone!"

Something sparked in the white-haired teen's heart. He didn't have to be alone! Yugi would be with him. No worries of abandonment or hurt were necessary because the hikari needed him as well. The pair could be _best _friends and – who knows? – maybe even more. Like two parts of a broken soul. That's all they really were, after all. Two shattered fragments in need of loving repair. And Yugi wanted him.

But why was Ryou so hesitant?

After a long moment of thinking, he shook his soaked head. "No. We can't."

"What?" the teen asked, hurt clear in his eyes. "Why?" Each word tore deeper into his friend's heart.

"You know it wouldn't be the same. We would only be headed for more pain. And I don't know about you, but I couldn't stand it."

Yugi stumbled with his words. "B-but…we could at least _try._"

"I'm so sorry. I really am." He met the King of Game's tearing eyes. "I have to go. I'll…see you around." A cringe-worthy silence followed. "You know, I'd love to still be your friend, if that's possible."

Reluctance filled his voice. "I guess. Sure." He took a shaky breath. "Bye, Ryou."

"Bye…" He turned on his heel and darted off as quickly as he could with his heavy clothes. Suddenly, more tears flooded his chocolate eyes. But he didn't look back. He could bear to see the innocent soul standing there, betrayed, and the sheer agony in his beautiful orbs would be torture.

So Ryou just chanted over and over:

_Must keep running…Must keep running…_

**---**

**Sad, neh? Oh well. Reviews are always appreciated!**

**- Unique Art**


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